Pio Tikoduadua

Lieutenant Colonel Pio Tikoduadua is a Fijian politician, former military officer and senior civil servant currently serving as Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs. He is President of the National Federation Party, a position he has held since June 2017, and one of the party's three sitting MPs.

He is from Namalata, Korovou, in Tailevu Province, and was raised by a single mother, Senoveva Ranadi. He attended Natovi Primary School, St Vincent College, and St John's College on Levuka. His tertiary education includes the University of New South Wales, the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies in Canberra, the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and the Australian Defence Force Command and Staff College (2006). He also holds a Master's degree in Taxation from Auckland University.

Tikoduadua served 26 years in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His RFMF career included deployments to Lebanon, Egypt, East Timor and the Solomon Islands, and senior appointments including Chief of Staff Operations. He subsequently moved into senior public service, serving as Permanent Secretary for Justice and Public Enterprises, and then as Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister under the Bainimarama military government until June 2014.

He contested the 2014 general election as a FijiFirst candidate, winning a seat in Parliament. He was sworn in on 24 September 2014 as Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Leader of Government Business. He resigned from Cabinet on 11 May 2015, citing health reasons, having undergone treatment for cancer.

In April 2017, Tikoduadua resigned from FijiFirst and joined the National Federation Party, citing concerns over Prime Minister Bainimarama's treatment of Minister for Health Dr Neil Sharma. He was subsequently appointed NFP President in 2017, a position he still holds.

In August 2019, Tikoduadua was physically assaulted by Prime Minister Bainimarama on the grounds of Parliament. The incident was captured on video. He was subsequently suspended from Parliament for six months without pay by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee for refusing to apologise. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions later declined to lay charges against Bainimarama on grounds of double jeopardy, citing the Privileges Committee process. Tikoduadua returned to Parliament in March 2020.

He was elected to Parliament on 14 December 2022, polling 2,222 votes (FEO Official Results, ballot 246). On 24 December 2022 he was sworn in as Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration and Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs in the coalition government.

On 21 November 2024, Tikoduadua offered to temporarily step aside as Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration to allow an impartial investigation into the alleged unauthorised issuance of Fijian passports to members of the controversial South Korean religious group Grace Road.

On 29 November 2024, Prime Minister Rabuka accepted the offer and formally stripped Tikoduadua of the Immigration and Policing portfolios. The investigation was referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Tikoduadua retained the Defence and Veteran Affairs portfolio.

Rabuka said at the time that the reassignment of portfolios was "unrelated" to the Grace Road investigation and that he had "not seen" the results of the investigation. The Immigration and Policing portfolios have not been returned to Tikoduadua. Policing was subsequently assigned to Ioane Naivalurua on 10 January 2025 and Immigration to Viliame Naupoto on the same date.

The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs is responsible for defence policy, oversight of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, and the welfare of Fijian military veterans and their families. Section 131(4) of the Fijian Constitution requires that the Minister be consulted on the appointment of the RFMF Commander. In July 2026, Tikoduadua confirmed he had been consulted by the Constitutional Offices Commission and had given his strong support for the reappointment of Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai as RFMF Commander on expiry of his five-year contract.

Tikoduadua has used the Defence portfolio as a platform for broader national security framing. In statements through 2025 and 2026 he has argued that Fiji's security challenges extend well beyond conventional defence, encompassing drug trafficking, transnational crime, border security, cyber threats and climate-related pressures. He has publicly credited the RFMF for maintaining neutrality and stability since the 2022 election, saying there were "a lot of tensions on the continuation of the democratic process" in that period and that in 2023 Fiji came "close to the shadows of 1987, 2000 and 2006."

Fiji has not yet committed to participation in an international stabilisation force for Gaza. Tikoduadua has publicly indicated the matter remains under consideration.

He sits on a Cabinet subcommittee considering the draft Constitution Amendment Bill 2026, alongside Sashi Kiran.

Tikoduadua has not yet confirmed whether he will contest the 2026 general election. In an interview published on The Lens@177 and reported in the Fiji Times, he said he was nearing the end of his current parliamentary term and would make a decision in the coming months. "I have to determine whether I can still add value within NFP going forward," he said. "And my position to contest the election will be determined in time."

In a separate statement at the NFP National Convention in Labasa on 28 September 2025, he had earlier confirmed he would contest under the NFP banner. The more recent position is more qualified.

Asked on The Lens@177 whether he would be prepared to lead the party if required, noting that current leader Biman Prasad is before the courts, Tikoduadua said the question of party leadership would be dealt with according to the party's constitution and proper processes. He said he hoped Prasad would not be convicted, and that any question of succession would only arise if there was a conviction and disqualification under the law.

He addressed the question of personal readiness directly. "I'm going to be 60 in three months' time. I'm not young anymore, but I've lived life," he said. "I've made tough decisions. I've made many, many big decisions. Both nation and country, and in my career as a military person, as a military commander." Asked whether he had what it took to become Prime Minister, Tikoduadua said he was confident in his ability to serve, but stressed that becoming Prime Minister was not an issue he was personally pursuing.